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His warnings come after recent NHS figures show the number of women admitted to hospital with alcohol-related problems jumped by 23 per cent in just two years to more than 70,000 in 2008.

Professor Gilmore, who will speak at a meeting of the Young Women's Christian Institute on Wednesday, told the Daily Mail that women were more susceptible to alcohol-related problems because of their physical and genetic make-up.

He added: "It only takes five to ten years of being on a heavy drinking treadmill for liver disease to arise."

The professor, who is also chairman of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "There is a link between alcohol consumption, the emancipation of women and their bigger role in the workplace. Women feel pressure to compete with their male counterparts, especially in those industries which are dominated by men and are highly paid, such as financial institutions in the City."